The Hochschule Niederrhein attaches great importance to compliance with laws and ethical principles. The Act for Better Protection of Whistleblowers (Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz - HinSchG), which came into force on 2 July 2023, serves to protect people who have obtained information about violations in the course of their professional activities and report them. The aim is to prevent whistleblowers from being disadvantaged and to provide them with legal certainty so that they are protected from reprisals under employment and labour law.

By reporting to our internal reporting centre, you give us the opportunity to clarify the facts and take appropriate measures. We would like to expressly encourage you to make use of this opportunity in order to strengthen compliant behaviour at the university, ensure fair cooperation and protect the reputation of our university.

Who can provide a tip-off?

Our internal reporting centre accepts reports from university employees. This also includes applicants, former employees and persons who are in contact with the Hochschule Niederrhein in the course of their professional activities. Employees of contractors, service providers, consultants, etc. who have been commissioned by the university are also authorised to report.

What offences can be reported?

The internal reporting office is responsible for reporting violations that are related to professional activities at the Hochschule Niederrhein. This includes, in particular, offences against criminal law and certain fine regulations as well as other regulations specified in Section 2 of the Whistleblower Protection Act. Examples of this are

• Criminal offences (e.g. corruption, theft, fraud)
• Offences against environmental law
• Offences against data protection regulations
• Violations of financial regulations

The internal reporting office is not responsible for information about private misconduct unrelated to professional activities or for general complaints without a specific legal offence.

You have the following options for submitting a report(please note the data protection information):

• By e-mail
  You can send your report to the following e-mail address: meldestelle(at)hs-niederrhein.de
   
• By post
  Send your report, labelled as confidential, to the following address:
  Governance, Compliance and Data Protection Lab
  Internal Reporting Office
  Reinarzstraße 49
  47805 Krefeld
   
• Personal conversation
  You can arrange a personal or telephone conversation with our reporting office officer by prior appointment. Please contact us by e-mail to arrange an appointment.
   
• Anonymous reports
  It is possible to submit an anonymous report. 
  Please use the web form or drop your report in the mailbox of the Governance, Compliance and Data Protection Lab.
  Address: Richard-Wagner-Str. 101, 41065 Mönchengladbach - Building R, 2nd floor, mailbox in front of room R 201 & R 202
  
   

Please note that the transmission of notices or information by unencrypted e-mail is a transmission method in which confidentiality may not be fully guaranteed. As access by unauthorised third parties cannot be ruled out with unencrypted emails, this communication channel offers less protection for your data and information compared to other, more secure methods.

The confidentiality of the whistleblower's identity is reliably protected for all reporting channels. Only the persons responsible for receiving and processing the reports have access to the incoming reports. Whistleblowers are protected from professional reprisals in connection with their reports. This also applies to persons who are the subject of a report and to other persons affected by a report.

You are also welcome to submit a report anonymously. Although complete anonymity cannot always be guaranteed, as the report may contain information that allows conclusions to be drawn about your person, or the chosen transmission method may not be technically capable of completely ruling out tracing, we will process reports that do not specify the sender and will not actively attempt to determine your identity. However, if you wish to submit an anonymous report, we ask you to provide an anonymised contact option (e.g. a separate e-mail address) if possible, in case we have any questions about the matter. Please note that in the case of an anonymous report, we will not be able to send you a confirmation of receipt or feedback on the measures taken.

Important note: Disclosing incorrect information about offences is prohibited (Section 32 (2) HinSchG). The whistleblower is obliged to compensate for any damage resulting from the intentional or grossly negligent reporting or disclosure of incorrect information (Section 38 HinSchG).

Further information: Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz, https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/hinschg/

External federal reporting centre at the Federal Office of Justice

If necessary, you can of course also contact the Federal Government's external reporting centre at the Federal Office of Justice (BfJ). The external federal reporting office also accepts reports of offences that you have discovered in connection with your professional activities or prior to such activities. Your information can be forwarded to the competent authorities via this reporting office in order to help detect, investigate and prosecute offences. The external federal reporting centre operates in accordance with the Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz. Reports of offences that do not have the necessary professional context are generally not taken any further. Before submitting a report to the external reporting centre, you should read the general explanations and further information provided there. You can find the online report and further information on the website of the Federal Office of Justice:

https://www.bundesjustizamt.de/DE/MeldestelledesBundes/MeldestelledesBundes_node.html

• Who can submit a report to the internal reporting office?
  Employees, applicants, former employees and persons who are in contact with the Hochschule Niederrhein in the course of their professional activities can submit a report.
   
• What types of violations can be reported?
  Violations of criminal laws and certain provisions on fines or other provisions specified in Section 2 of the Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz that are related to professional activities at the university can be reported.
   
• How can I submit a report?
  You can submit your report by e-mail to meldestelle(at)hs-niederrhein.de, by post (marked confidential) or in a personal meeting by appointment. 
   
• Will my data be treated confidentially?
  Yes, the identity of the whistleblower will be treated confidentially and will only be accessible to the persons responsible for processing the report.
   
• Will I receive feedback on my report?
  Once your report has been received, you will receive confirmation of receipt within seven days, unless you have reported anonymously. You will receive feedback on the follow-up measures taken or planned within three months, provided this does not affect the rights of other persons.
   
• What happens to my report?
  The reporting centre checks the responsibility, the reporting requirements and the validity of the report. If necessary, further information will be requested. Appropriate follow-up measures are then taken, such as internal investigations or forwarding to the relevant authorities.
   
• Am I protected when I make a report?
  Yes, whistleblowers are protected from reprisals in connection with their report.
   
• How can I improve my anonymity and protection when submitting a report?
  To protect your identity in the best possible way and minimise the risk of possible tracing, you should take a few precautions when submitting a report:
  Network: Make sure that you are not on your employer's network (e.g. the company's Internet or VPN) when you submit a report. Instead, use a private internet connection that is independent of your employer.
  Device: Do not use a device (smartphone, computer, etc.) provided by your employer to submit the report. Instead, use a private device that cannot be associated with your workplace.
  Language: When formulating your report, endeavour not to use specific phrases or abbreviations that you frequently use in business conversations or emails. Use neutral and generalised language to reduce the likelihood of identification through your writing style.